Mini Eggplant Pizzas, Julia Childs style

As soon as I saw a pin for mini eggplant pizzas, I immediately began creating the perfect pizza in my head-- spinach mixed with tomato sauce for a hearty base, thinly sliced mushrooms and chunky olives, bit o mozzarella, and some prosciutto or prawns on top. *How* had I never thought of this?! My mom used to make me and my siblings mini pizzas on English muffin halves after school, and these are just as easy and tasty-- but paleofied : )

mini pizzas loaded with spinach and veggies on an eggplant base

Apparently the idea originated with Julia Childs, America's favorite TV chef before TV chefs were a thing. This woman introduced French cooking techniques to the household cook, and we are forever grateful. Eggplant pizzas may not be French, but they are adorable, hearty, veg-based snacks that can easily make a meal. 

I give the recipe for what I made below, but feel free to adapt as you wish. A different protein, such as cooked beef mince (ground beef), turkey mince, or shredded cooked chicken, could be added to the tomato sauce base instead of prawns or prosciutto. Anchovies would also work well. Or go for pineapple and prosciutto if you're feeling Hawaiian. Your imagination is the limit. These would be great to make for a DIY eggplant pizza bar dinner party. Three little pizzas were filling enough for dinner for me, and one each would serve as a nice starter before a main meal. Enjoy!

Mini Eggplant Pizzas

Makes approximately 9 pizzas

1 large eggplant, sliced into 1cm-wide slices

1 14oz (400g) can whole, peeled tomatoes

1/2 cup frozen spinach, cooked (or wilt a few big handfuls of fresh spinach)

1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

1/4 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons sliced ripe (black) olives

1/3 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

9 raw prawns, peeled, deveined, and butterflied (split almost in half with a knife down the belly of the prawn)

Preheat the oven to 210C/ 410F. Line a large baking tray or cookie sheet with baking paper.

Place the eggplant slices on try baking tray and place them in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. 

Meanwhile, discard half of the liquid from the can of peeled tomatoes (or save for another use), and pour the remaining half into a medium sized bowl. Roughly chop chop (or pulse in a blender or food processor) the tomatoes, and add them to the tomato juice. Add the spinach and chili flakes (if using) to the tomatoes and mix well. 

Remove the eggplant from the oven and turn each slice over. On top of each eggplant slice, place a couple of tablespoons of the tomato mixture, spreading evenly over each slice. Next top with the mushroom slices and olives, then sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over each pizza. Top each pizza with a butterflied prawn. 

Bake the pizzas in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the prawns are cooked through and the mozzarella begins to bubble. Serve immediately. 

Pizzas will keep, covered in the fridge, for 2 days.

Eggs in Purgatory, Tex-Mex Style

Yesterday was one of those full and productive weekend days that I've needed recently as we prepare this month to welcome friends visiting Sydney, pack up and move house, then fly overseas for a few weeks for a very full schedule of work and play. Woke up early, got stuff done, and felt ready for the week ahead. We ended that productive day with a fantastic night out with friends in Surry Hills: pub drinks, then banquet menu Lebanese food (YUM, love those meals where you're stuffed at the end mostly due to the veg and chickpeas), and excellent Aussie red wine nightcap(s) at our friends' place... finally got home way late for this no-longer-in-her-twenties gal.

eggs sunny-side up over sautéed peppers, spinach, onion, garlic,
with avocado and crispy tortilla strips

So today is yesterday's polar opposite: pretty unproductive. I slept later than I have in ages. Breakfast needed to be lunch-ish, a healthy but filling, steadying meal. I've seen the Italian-origin dish uova in purgatorio, eggs in purgatory, on various cooking blogs and decided to throw together a Tex-Mex version, sort of huevos rancheros meets uova in purgatorio. We can't use tomatoes in our food due to allergies, so instead of the traditional tomato sauce I broiled, peeled, and chopped a couple of red bell peppers (like this). Sauteed some diced onion, garlic, and jalapeños with the chopped bell peppers and some spinach, then dropped in the eggs when the vegetables were nice and softened. Grated a little cheddar over the eggs just before they were finished, and topped everything with some crispy baked corn tortilla strips, rather than serving over crusty bread like most uova in purgatorio recipes advise.

eggs in purgatory, Tex-Mex style (and gluten-free)

Pairing the eggs with sliced avocado on the plates cut the heat from the jalapeños just enough, and a side of chopped honeydew and papaya made for a perfectly balanced, fuzzy-head-curing breakfast. Whether you seek the perfect meal after a late night out, or just a hearty, vegetable-heavy brunch (or breakfast for dinner!) option, these Tex-Mex style eggs in purgatory are a good go-to. Wishing you a weekend well balanced with productivity, leisure, and quality time with friends and family.

Eggs in Purgatory, Tex-Mex Style
2 hearty servings

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
half a brown onion, diced (about 1/4 cup)

2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped jalapeños
1/4 cup frozen spinach, defrosted
4 eggs
2-3 tablespoons freshly grated cheddar or monterey jack cheese

to serve:
1 tortilla (gluten-free if cooking g-f), cut into long, thin strips and toasted under the oven broiler till crispy
half an avocado, sliced
hot sauce (Cholula, Tabasco) and additional jalapeño slices (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add the onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until onion begins to turn translucent. Add the diced bell peppers, garlic, jalapeños, and spinach, and sauté for another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and continue to cook for another 7-8 minutes, until the bell peppers are soft.

Remove the cover from the vegetables, and crack four eggs over the vegetables, leaving about an inch between each egg and taking care not to break the yolks. Cover again, and continue to cook until the eggs are just about done-- the whites opaque and the yolks still runny. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the eggs, and continue to cook for another minute or so, until the cheese is melted.

Arrange the avocado slices on the side of each plate, then serve two eggs in purgatory onto each plate, topping the eggs with the crispy tortilla strips (make sure the tortilla strips are gluten-free if cooking g-f). Serve immediately with Cholula, Tabasco, and additional jalapeño slices, if desired.

Simple Crepes + Breakfast Crepes with Mushrooms, Spinach, & Eggs

It's a long weekend here in Sydney, with Monday off for the Queen's birthday. (Not QE II's real birthday, mind you, but her commemorated birthday date in Australia... except for Western Australia. Commonwealth holidays can be confusing!) So we're enjoying a beautiful, crisp, sunny 3 days' break. Planning to walk down to the beach this afternoon, then maybe head into the city tomorrow to read all day and sip coffee at a café.

To kick off the weekend yesterday morning, the hubs suggested trying out a new crepe place that just opened around the corner from us. When we lived in London's beautiful village of Hampstead, just a few stops up from the city centre on the Northern Line, we used to indulge a little too often in the famous creperie stand on Hampstead's high street. Some weekends, the line (queue) would be a block and a half long, everyone waiting patiently while the two French cooks inside the tiny metal stand churned out savory and sweet crepes. They were folded into big triangles and given to patrons to-go in triangle-shaped cardboard wrappers with a fork and napkins, and cost only a few pounds each. While they poured batter and skimmed the flat wooden paddles across the crepes to make them huge, thin, and crispy, the cooks chatted back and forth in French, reaching across each other to grab cans of ratatouille, heaping spoonfuls of sautéed spinach and fresh shredded cheese, or big spoonfuls of Nutella. Every time we ate a crepe, standing in the little laneway just behind the cart, that little corner of Hampstead felt like our own authentic mini-break to Paris.

I hope they serve crepes in heaven. Beautiful pic of the
Hampstead Creperie in London from Gourmet Traveller 88.

We haven't had a crepe since we moved to Sydney's north shore from Hamsptead almost two years ago, so this new creperie around the corner looked enticing. But when I had a glance at their (small) menu, I was taken aback by the prices. For one crepe! Sydney is notoriously expensive (ranked as the 3rd most expensive city in the world this year by The Economist Intelligence Unit), but this was just silly. I suggested instead that we make crepes at home-- how hard can it be? One of my college roommates used to make them all the time, without any of that fancy equipment: the big, flat, crepe griddle, the long wooden paddle to smooth out the batter. So we did. And they were easy, incredibly delicious, and we got a whole half dozen of them for a fraction of the cost of just one at the recently-opened creperie.

Delicious breakfast crepes with mushrooms, spinach, garlic, cheese, and an egg. 

This is an easy, fool-proof crepe recipe that can be used for savory or sweet fillings, serving as a main course for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Your imagination is the limit for turning a stack of crepes into a creative meal or gorgeous dessert. Keep a few in the freezer and warm them up in the microwave for a quick start to a meal or a tasty snack. Below the simple crepe recipe, I've given the method we used to make some spectacular breakfast crepes, full of sautéed mushrooms, garlic, spinach, topped with melted cheese and a fried egg. These were filling and truly delicious, and could easily serve as a main course any time of day.

Crepes in the morning: breakfast bliss

My next crepe mission: to make the mouth-watering crepe cake from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. Be fearless and try your hand at crepes!

Simple crepes. Super easy, and ready to serve as a base for creative breakfasts, dinners, or desserts.

Simple Crepes
makes 6 crepes
adapted from Cooking Light

1 egg
1 cup milk (I used skim, any fat content will do)

2/3 cup flour (I used 1/3 cup whole wheat and 1/3 cup wholegrain spelt flour)

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (or buckwheat, wholegrain wheat, or wholegrain spelt flour)
pinch of freshly ground sea salt
oil for coating pan to cook crepes (I used extra virgin olive oil)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and milk until combined. Add the flour, flaxseed, and salt, whisking to combine. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 15-30 minutes while you prepare your fillings.

To cook the crepes, heat a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Coat with a thin film of oil. When the pan is hot, pour a scant 1/4 cup of crepe batter into the centre of the pan, lifting and tilting it in a circular motion so that the batter spreads out into a wide circle. Set the pan back on the stove top and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until the crepe can be easily moved around the pan with a spatula and is golden brown on the bottom. Flip the crepe over and continue to cook for another 30 seconds to one minute, until golden on both sides.

Set the cooked crepe on a plate and cover with a paper towel, square of parchment/baking paper, or wax paper, and repeat with remaining batter. Make sure to layer the cooked crepes with a paper towel or similar so that they don't stick together as they cool. To keep them warm as you're cooking the entire batch, place the cooked crepes in a pre-heated 100C/215F oven. Serve warm with your choice of filling. (See Breakfast Crepe recipe suggestion below). Or just go with Nutella, always a winner.

* Storage Tip: Store cooked crepes, layered with paper towels or parchment paper or wax paper, in a freezer-proof bag in the freezer. To use, reheat crepes in the microwave until warm.

Breakfast Crepes with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Eggs
Serves 2 (multiply ingredients as required)

2 cooked crepes
extra virgin olive oil for the pan
1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups baby spinach leaves
pinch of freshly ground sea salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs

Heat a thin film of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until they begin to turn golden around the edges. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the minced garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

Turn the oven broiler (grill) onto medium-high. Lay the two crepes on a large baking sheet. Distribute the mushroom/spinach mixture over the crepes, and top each crepe with the shredded cheese. (Save the sauté pan for the eggs). Place the baking tray in the oven about 5 inches from the heat source at the top of the oven, and crack the door open an inch or two.

While the crepes are in the oven with the cheese melting, make two fried eggs. Return the sauté pan to medium heat, add a thin film of oil, and cook the eggs sunny-side up: until whites are opaque but the yolks are still runny. Keep an eye on the crepes in the oven to make sure they don't burn. (If the crepes are done before the eggs, turn the broiler off and move the baking tray to the middle of the oven so that the crepes stay warm).

To serve, place each crepe on a plate and top with a fried egg. Serve open-faced, or fold the crepe in half to keep the filling warm. Serve immediately.

Sesame Turkey Meatballs with Spinach Chickpea Salad

This is another adaptation from Deb Perelman's The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, which has obviously been a success at our house since a few of the recipes posted here over the past couple of months have their origins there. These turkey meatballs are deliciously-spiced with cumin and paprika, and can be made with either ground turkey or ground chicken (I've tried both: yum). I throw a few handfuls of spinach to the original recipe to make it more of a green salad with chickpeas, and add paprika here and in the meatballs themselves, because smoked paprika is always a good idea.

sesame turkey meatballs spiced with cumin, paprika, and a little chili,
served over spinach chickpea salad

A tip to the wise: you'll be tempted to brown as many meatballs as possible in the sauté pan, but trust me on the two-batch method. By browning only half of them at a time, you'll have room to flip the meatballs as they cook without accidentally breaking up others in an over-crowded pan.

Sesame turkey meatballs over spinach chickpea salad

I imagine the meatballs would also be great served over a Moroccan-flavored couscous salad, and the spinach chickpea salad could also serve as a base for chicken baked with paprika and a little cumin. The entire meal is fairly simple to bring together in spite of all the combining, rolling, then browning and baking of the meatballs. It's a lean, protein-rich dinner option, and the leftovers are great for lunch the next day (you could even serve it in pitas, as Deb Perelman suggests in the cookbook). Enjoy!

Sesame Turkey Meatballs
adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
serves 4

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 pound (455g) ground turkey (or chicken)
2/3 cup breadcrumbs (or 1 cup roughly torn pieces of bread, from 1-2 slices bread: use gluten-free bread if cooking g-f)
1/4 cup water
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika is fine, too)
1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes (or a pinch of cayenne pepper)
pinch of freshly ground sea salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil for pan

Preheat oven to 400F / 204C.

Warm a large sauté pan to medium-low heat on the stove. Add the sesame seeds and immediately turn the heat down to low.  Cook the sesame seeds for about 1-2 minutes, until they are beginning to brown, stirring around the pan to encourage even browning. (Sesame seeds will burn quickly so keep a close eye on them). Remove toasted sesame seeds from pan and pour into a large bowl; remove pan from heat.

To the large bowl, add the remaining ingredients, except the olive oil. Mix thoroughly with a potato masher or a fork, until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Roll the meat mixture by hand into golfball-sized meatballs, setting meatballs on a large cutting board or plate.

Heat a large sauté pan (preferably one that can go into the oven) on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread it evenly around the pan. Carefully place half of the meatballs in the pan, taking care not to overcrowd. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, carefully turning the meatballs as you go so that they brown on multiple sides. Remove browned meatballs and place on a large baking tray or cookie sheet. Repeat browning with the remaining meatballs.

If your sauté pan can go into the oven, return all of the meatballs to the pan and place in the oven. If you don't have an oven-proof sauté pan, simply place all of the meatballs on the large baking tray or cookie sheet, and place the baking tray in the oven.

Bake at 400F / 204C for about 12-18 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of at least 160F / 71C. Serve warm with the spinach chickpea salad (recipe below).


Spinach Chickpea Salad
adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
serves 4

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas)
Handful of pitted green olives, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley)
Juice from half a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of dried chili flakes (or a dash of cayenne pepper)
pinch of freshly ground sea salt
2 cups washed baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Place the chickpeas in a medium-sized bowl, and mash with the back of the fork for a minute to rough them up a little.  Add remaining ingredients except the spinach leaves and olive oil (through sea salt).  Stir to combine thoroughly, then add the chopped spinach leaves and olive oil.  Toss carefully to evenly distribute the spinach.  Serve with sesame turkey meatballs.

*Serving Tip: Arrange the spinach chickpea salad on a large serving plate, and top with the turkey meatballs.  Place serving plate on the dining table and serve family style.   

Mediterranean Fish over Cannellini Beans

This dish is fast, healthy, and delicious, and it has become a weeknight staple.  It's very filling, and a great way to incorporate high-fiber beans into your diet.  I've listed a basic recipe below, but I often add whatever mediterranean-style produce I have in the fridge-- marinated artichoke hearts, sauteed mushrooms, a few chopped olives, roasted and marinated red peppers, etc.  

The (iphone quality and snapped just before it was consumed by a hungry husband) picture I've included is a version made with fresh spinach, capers, and roasted and marinated red piquillo peppers.  Try it, you won't be disappointed!   

Mediterranean Fish over Cannellini Beans

Mediterranean Fish over Cannellini Beans

Serves 3-4

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 finely chopped shallots or 1 finely small chopped onion

4 fillets of mild white fish, fresh or frozen and thawed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon capers

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups fresh washed spinach or 1 package of frozen spinach, defrosted

2-3 teaspoons dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon pepper

pinch of salt

dash to 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 lemon

Heat the olive oil over high heat.  Add the shallot or onion and turn down to medium high heat; saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the fish fillets to the pan, and sprinkle the garlic and capers over the top of the fish. Add a dash of salt, half of the pepper, and 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottom of the fish begins to slightly brown.  

Turn fish over in the pan.  Add the cannellini beans, spinach, a dash of salt, the remaining pepper, a dash (or more) of red pepper flakes, and the juice of half of the lemon.  Cover and cook for about 7-8 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.  Gently stir the beans and spinach around to incorporate slightly without breaking up the fish.  

Spoon some of the bean and spinach mixture onto each plate, and top with one piece of fish, and more bean and spinach mixture.  If the fish breaks apart, no worries!  Just serve it broken into pieces on top of the beans and spinach.  Place a lemon wedge on each plate to serve.  

Southern Stuffed Bell Peppers over Seasoned Greens

Currently eating this as lunch leftover from last night's dinner, and it's just as delicious the next day.  Black-eyed peas and shredded turkey or chicken, simmered in liquid smoke, come together beautifully in colorful roasted bell peppers.  Served over seasoned greens, topped with shredded cheese, and accompanied by cornbread, this dish couldn't get any more Southern. 

It's healthy and filling comfort food, fit for a family dinner, but a casserole dish full of stuffed peppers also makes a nice presentation on a buffet.  Put the tabasco sauce on the table for anyone who wants to spice it up a notch.  

Southern stuffed bell peppers over seasoned greens... black-eyed pea goodness

Southern Stuffed Bell Peppers over Seasoned Greens

4 hearty servings

4 bell peppers, various colors

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 teaspoons cumin, divided

2 teaspoons chili powder, divided

3 chicken or turkey breasts (or about 1 1/2 cups shredded, deli-roasted chicken)

1 yellow onion, diced

1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2-3 teaspoons natural liquid smoke (mesquite flavor works well)

4 cups spinach, rinsed

1 cup freshly shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

Turn on your oven broiler to medium-high.  Wash the bell peppers and split each in half, cutting from the bottom to the top of the stem, removing the stem and seeds.  Mix the olive oil, white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon chili powder into a small bowl.  Brush the mixture lightly all over the bell peppers, and place peppers, skin side up, on a baking tray.  Reserve the remaining oil and vinegar mixture.  Place bell peppers in the oven, about 4 inches from heat.  Broil for about 3 minutes, then turn them over so that the fleshy inside is facing the heat.  Broil about 3 more minutes, then turn back over so that the skin is facing the heat.  Broil another  3 minutes, just until the skin begins to blister and peppers are softened.  Remove peppers from oven, and turn oven to 400F / 200C. Sprinkle insides with one teaspoon cumin.

Meanwhile, fill a pot with water and bring to a low boil.  Add the turkey or chicken and simmer for about 15 minutes, until a breast sliced open is no longer pink.  Remove from heat, drain the water off, and shred the chicken or turkey with two forks.  Set aside. 

In the same pot, spray a little oil or cooking spray and return to medium-high heat.  Add the chopped onion.  Saute about 6 minutes, until soft and beginning to brown.  Add the garlic and saute another minute.  Remove one heaping tablespoon of the onion garlic mixture and put into reserved oil and vinegar mixture, set aside.  

Add the black-eyed peas and one cup of water to the pot with the remaining onion and garlic.  Add 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon chili powder, and the parsley and oregano to peas.  Simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the shredded turkey or chicken, and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water has mostly been absorbed or evaporated.  Remove from heat.  

Spoon the black-eyed pea mixture into each bell pepper half, topping with shredded cheese.  Leave any remaining mixture in the pot that won't fit into the bell pepper halves.  Return the pot to medium heat and add the spinach, stirring occasionally for about 2-3 minutes, until spinach is wilted.  

Pour one tablespoon of the reserved oil and vinegar mixture into the spinach, stirring to distribute.  Pour the remaining oil and vinegar mixture into the bottom of a large ceramic or glass casserole dish.  Spread the spinach mixture over the bottom of the casserole.  Arrange bell peppers on top of spinach.

Bake casserole dish at 400F / 200C for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and peppers are heated through.  Serve immediately with cornbread.